Reassuring Bella
by O2Shea
Summary: Sequel to "Convincing Edward". Edward has some bridges to mend with Bella... but it may not be as easy as he assumes.


_A/N: I wrote __**Convincing Edward**__ as a one shot, but I had several requests to continue the story… so this one shot is the sequel to it. Of course, I don't own it… all I'm doing is playing on the edges of Stephenie Meyer's world with her characters._

Edward paced beneath Bella's window. He knew that he owed her an apology for his behavior… but he owed her so much more. He felt like he had been waiting for her all his life… subconsciously scanning for that one girl who was made for him.

And when he found her, what did he do? Had to run away to avoid killing her! Why else would she have blood so special it called to him… if not to announce that she was, indeed, his? Almost a century of seeking and he almost let her slip right through his fingers.

He glanced up at her window. He knew she was crying; he could hear her. The muffled sobs made him long to comfort her, but he wanted to have a plan. Bella was feeling vulnerable… injured in body and spirit… and he knew he was responsible for that. What could he possibly say to make her understand what she meant to him?

Sniffles that announced she had already regained control of herself smote him anew. Plan or no plan, he needed to be with her. Moments later he was climbing in through her window.

Bella was curled up on her bed, clutching a pillow in her arms as she jerked up, her gaze flying to the window. Her eyes widened and she said, choking back a sob, "I – I thought you said you weren't coming tonight…"

He paused only a moment before joining her on the bed and gathering her in his arms. "Changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Couldn't make it through the night without you… unless I had to…"

She took a deep breath and allowed, "You don't have to." She added, "You never did."

Edward rubbed his nose appreciatively against the soft, fragrant place just behind her left ear. "I don't ever want to be without you. I love you, Bella."

Reluctantly Bella sat up, looked him in the eye, and said, "I love you, too… but you hurt me tonight."

He had risen when she did. "I know, love. I am so very sorry! I wasn't prepared for Jazz's attack… I would have made sure I put you in a safer place if I'd had any idea. Next time I'll…"

Bella shook her head, moving away from him. "I don't mean the glass, Edward… and I don't mean Jasper. Stuff happens… But you were so cold to me afterward. You wouldn't meet my eyes and you didn't say anything. Not when Carlisle worked on me…"

He interrupted her. "You know he sent me after Jazz…"

Her glance implored him to hush. Then she quietly continued, "Carlisle knew you were acting strangely. We spoke of it briefly. You also didn't speak on the drive home and when I asked if you were staying all I got was 'not tonight'." You would have left without giving me a goodnight kiss… on my birthday, no less… if I hadn't practically begged you for one. And that kiss was not goodnight… it was goodbye."

Edward glanced at her sharply and was about to protest, but Bella saw him open his mouth to speak and shook her head.

"Don't bother denying it. Anyone could tell the difference. And now you're here like none of it happened… Why? I'm not complaining, but I want to know…"

Edward shook his head and then looked into her eyes. "Jazz's attack on you – and my clumsy backup to it – really scared me, Bella. Either of us could have killed you… Hell, _any_ of us could have killed you when you were bleeding all over the place… except, probably, Carlisle."

"And?"

His gaze shifted from hers. The next bit was the hard part. "I decided that we were too dangerous for you to be around. I told my family that I wanted us to leave immediately. Just disappear so that you would have a chance to live a normal human life." When he met her eyes the anger in them had him pleading, "It was my concern for you that made me want to leave… not any desire to do so."

He had not imagined the spark of anger. "So after _you_ decided what course my life should take… I take it the program changed. Why?"

A shaky laugh showed that he was receiving her communication loud and clear. "My family felt that it would be foolish to throw away the only love I've ever known without recognizing her as an independent person and giving her a say in her own future."

"Really?" That pleased her. "Good for your family. I appreciate them too. But you were going to jettison our relationship as though it was a fling that wasn't going anywhere."

"That's not the way I meant it," Edward insisted. "I don't ever want anything more than to be with you…!"

"Then change me!" Bella offered a future that Edward did not want her to pursue.

"No…" he whispered fervently.

"Your family has endorsed my change, too, haven't they?" Bella shot the question directly.

Edward saw no way to avoid it. He nodded. "Most of them."

Bella went up to him, placed her hands on his chest and looked into his eyes. "You said you want our relationship to last."

"Yes," he affirmed. "I do."

She shrugged lightly. "Then I shall have to be changed."

He was about to reply, but she shook her head. "Edward, ever since the accident tonight, you have been penalizing me for being human."

"No!" he insisted.

She raised an eyebrow. "You have. And you knew I was human when you decided to become my friend. That was your choice… as it was mine to keep a vampire as a friend when I knew what you are. You knew I was human all this time when we loved and talked and enjoyed our summer. You knew I was human when I went to your house tonight. Just as _**I**_ knew you were all vampires. Some things are important enough to take risks for. I believe what we have is one of them." Finally she went into his arms and he relaxed as she snuggled against him.

"Are you sure you barely turned eighteen?" He shook his head.

"No changing the subject." She stated.

"I wasn't. I just wondered when you became so wise," he replied.

"My mother says I was born that way. So…" Bella waited for him to answer.

"So you call being changed into a vampire 'a risk'. If you are willing to change to another life form, are you willing to commit to more?"

"Like what?"

"Will you marry me, Bella?" He gazed directly into her lovely face.

Her eyes missed nothing as they looked into his. "You'll change me?"

"I'll change you. No sense saying we'll be together forever unless we both can be."

Bella nodded. "My point exactly… I would want and _need_ to actually belong to your world… if I'm going to belong to you."

Some part of him, previously unsuspected, growled with a delighted sense of possession at her words.

"Then you'll marry me?"

"When school is out, I will marry you. Only forever."

Edward spent the rest of the night curled up with his love in her bed, kissing and making future plans until she drifted into sleep. Then he watched her contentedly until Charlie Swan rose for the day. During Charlie's shower, Edward slipped out of Bella's window and ran home.

The door to the Cullen house opened as he approached and Alice beamed at him. "Well?"

He nodded affirmatively. "Well."

She swatted at him. "You know what I mean…"

Edward entered the house and noted that Carlisle and Jasper had paused their chess game and Esme her sketching when he and Alice entered. Only Emmett and Rose had retired upstairs.

A slow smile crossed Jasper's face. "Enough fanfare, Edward. Tell us…"

An answering grin was the prelude to Edward's announcement. "We're engaged to be married after graduation… and sometime after that I am changing Bella." He looked at Alice and shook his head. "You were right. She will be one of us."

From upstairs Emmett's voice boomed, "All right!"


End file.
